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ADELAIDE
South Australia

Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia and the gateway to 18 distinctive, world renowned wine regions. Located between the white sand beaches to the west and the cool, rolling hills to the east, Adelaide boasts an eclectic small bar scene, restaurants that embrace Australia’s cultural diversity and the most vibrant food market precinct in the country.

Wine is central to South Australia’s story. It’s part of our culture, a source of immense local pride and a story we are delighted to share with the world.

South Australia is indisputably Australia’s wine state, producing 80 percent of Australia’s premium wine and 50 percent of all bottled wine.

Our state’s 18 picturesque wine regions have some of the world’s oldest vines, thanks to rigorous biosecurity measures, which have kept the state free from the vine ravaging pest phylloxera.

We are renowned for our premium wine experiences in every region of South Australia. South Australia, has more than 3,250 vineyard owners, 680 wineries and 340 cellar doors – 200 within an hour’s drive of the capital city of Adelaide.

South Australia has a proud winemaking heritage and a reputation as a leader and innovator – for example during the 1990s South Australian winemakers pioneered the screw cap closure that revolutionised quality assurance and convenience.

Modern low-input winemaking techniques, and a commitment to environmental sustainability has helped preserve the industry for future generations. A highlight is South Australia’s water use through irrigation which is 14 percent lower than the national average, despite being the driest state.

Adelaide is a wine innovation hub, home to the National Wine Centre and Australia’s leading viticultural education, research and development institutions.

Wines

South Australia has a reputation for maintaining excellent quality-assurance standards

South Australia’s prestigious wine industry supports not only highly regarded and established wine producers, but also a large number of exciting, young, innovative winemakers who embrace the use of alternative varietals and natural winemaking principles of minimal interventions and organic farming.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc thrive along the ridges and valleys of the cool Adelaide Hills. The Clare Valley produces pristine, crisp, dry Riesling, and 300km to the south the Coonawarra grows exceptional Cabernet and Merlot.

While many South Australian wine regions are world famous for our Shiraz, they have also embraced a greater range of Mediterranean varietals. Grapes such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese, Fiano, Vermentino and Mourvedre, require less water and thrive in the warm climate. The wines made from these grapes in such nurturing warm areas have great natural balance, complexity and flavour.

South Australia has a reputation for maintaining excellent quality-assurance standards, so you can be confident that the wine you drink and buy is high quality, clean, and safe.

Thanks to rigorous biosecurity measures protecting the wine industry standards, this is one of the few places in the world that is free of the vine-destroying pest phylloxera, and has some of the oldest vines in the world.

Land
of legends

Tourism

When it comes to food and wine, South Australia truly is the land of legends.

From culture-rich Adelaide to the lush Adelaide Hills; the bountiful Barossa to the Coonawarra, Clare Valley and beyond; our state has been named a Great Wine Capital of the World and is home to an all-star cast of world-famous chefs, winemakers and producers.

Adelaide is a culinary playground with a smorgasbord of cuisines on offer. Steeped in history and drenched in class, wash it all down at booming city bars, regional distilleries, cellar doors and wineries.

The 18 wine regions that call south australia home have got over 340 cellar doors, 200 of which are an hours drive from Adelaide. In fact, you could wake up in Adelaide, do some tasting in McLaren Vale, a long lunch in the Adelaide Hills and finish with some tasting and a delicious dinner in the Barossa. It is the perfect destination for wine lovers.

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Ambassador
for Adelaide

Peter Gago

Chief Winemaker at Penfolds

Adelaide, South Australia’s membership to the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network presents so many exciting possibilities and I’m honoured to be involved as the global ambassador for South Australia.

Elevating the state’s wine profile on an international stage increases the exposure for our premium wine labels and raises the bar for us as a wine capital – we’re now benchmarking against regions like Bordeaux and this gives us the opportunity to learn from their experience and insights.

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AWARDS

Adelaide Education

Education

Adelaide is a wine innovation hub, home to the National Wine Centre and Australia’s leading winemaking and viticultural education, research and development institutions.

The University of Adelaide School of Food, Wine and Agribusiness, located about 15 mins from Adelaide’s CBD offers a full suite of courses for wine students in both undergraduate and post graduate studies. The campus has a fully operational training winery where students can learn practical skills before they begin their careers. The University is also a leading research facility, conducting world first trials into smoke taint, sensory analysis and the impacts of climate change.

The University of Adelaide Business School was the first University in Australia to launch a specific Wine maketing degree, ensuring that the needs of industry were being met at a tertiary education level. The business school continues to evolve its offering to meet the changing global demands from the wine sector.

The University of South Australia is home to the Ehrenberg Bass Institute – the world’s largest centre for research into marketing.
With a team of 60+ marketing scientists, Ehrenberg Bass are advancing marketing knowledge, busting pseudo-science and marketing myths, and teaching marketers how marketing really works and how brands grow.

The University of South Australia is also home to the Centre for Tourism and Leisure Management which leads research into tourism, hospitality, events, sport and leisure.

Gastronomy

Home to world-famous chefs, winemakers and producers; Adelaide is a culinary playground with a delicious array of cuisines on offer. Steeped in history and drenched in class, wash it all down at booming city bars, regional distilleries, cellar doors and wineries.

The Adelaide Hills are known for apples, cherries, strawberries, and German-style bakeries and small goods. Gourmet cheese has become a big part of the Hills’ food repertoire with award-winning wheels at Woodside Cheese Wrights and Udder Delights.

Abalone from Streaky Bay, tuna and whiting from Boston Bay and fresh oysters from Coffin Bay are among the reasons the Eyre Peninsula is renowned worldwide for its seafood. A seafood trail dubbed the ‘Seafood Frontier’ provides a gastronomic journey along the pristine coastline from Whyalla to Streaky Bay. The region is also quickly becoming a unique culinary destination in its own right, with world-class seafood and local wines.

Kangaroo Island specialises in gourmet produce, including freshly shucked oysters, abalini (baby abalone), creamy sheep’s cheese, farmed marron (freshwater crayfish), and pure Ligurian honey. These delicacies make their way from the ocean, dairies, and farms on to exciting menus across the Island.

The Clare Valley pioneered the concept of the annual gourmet weekend (held each May) – combining wine, fine food, music and fun at wineries across the region – and 30 years on it is still one of the greatest. All of Adelaide’s major wine regions have a similar event each year, each with its own regional style.

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